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Alumni

Mohamed Watfa

Season 4

Country:

Lebanon

Product:

Shared

About the project

After receiving his Ph.D. from the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Oklahoma at the young age of 23, Mohamed was determined to help students in his home of Lebanon learn in a world-class environment like he did. Mohamed’s idea to achieve this, SHARED, earned him second place on Stars of Science Season 4. SHARED is a technology that can transform multiple wooden desks into interactive computer systems. The innovation has allowed him to turn a simple classroom into a full-fledged computer lab using a single computer and projector, drastically saving costs for schools who cannot afford to buy a computer for every student.

What did Mohamed achieve so far?

Since Stars of Science, Mohamed has achieved a number of outstanding accomplishments, improving the landscape of education across the region. As his list of achievement grows, so do his dreams and ambitions. As a passionate advocate for quality education, a milestone for Mohamed was the inauguration of his first school last year in Lebanon, the International School of Innovation (ISI). As the owner, principal and CEO of the school, Mohamed supports 150 students and a faculty of 35 teachers. The students at ISI will be first to learn from his latest ground-breaking technologies. Mohamed holds one US patent and has patents pending on two more technologies in use at the school.

Mohamed is also the Associate Dean at the University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD). There, he won OUWD’s yearly Research Excellence Award for a third time in 2013. Mohamed cofounded the first simulation and smart system research in the UAE, which hosts a number of inventions in development, including a wireless energy infrastructure for electric cars, devices for medical applications and drones. Inspired by his experience on Stars of Science, he founded AppVision 2013, the first innovation contest in the UAE for high school students. In addition, Mohamed has more than 50 top-ranked journal and conference publications within his research domain.

Future insights...

Mohamed’s ultimate life goal is to bring quality education to all; he is committed to proving that superb education can be attained by anyone, regardless of financial standing.

Mohamed is working on an ambitious plan to expand his school in Lebanon and franchise it around the region. Once he is awarded his pending patents, he wants to simultaneously run a startup business for each of the technologies he has created, which he hopes to turn into a ‘unicorn’ - a company with a $1 billion valuation or higher.

Mohamed has cemented his reputation for being a driven innovator and wants to continue expanding on existing inventions. Mohamed also aims to keep speaking at events, writing publications and, most importantly, inspiring students and encouraging them to learn as much as possible for years to come.

Personal Reflection

“Stars of Science developed my innovator’s mindset, which is even more valuable than technical skill. Candidates leave SOS with innovation in their DNA,” said Mohamed. “New candidates have to know that, if they approach the experience with an open mind and a willingness to learn, they will come away with skills they will use for the next 50 years.”